So, I’ve gone through a rough time lately. I’m doing very well in most areas of my life, including my nutrition and mental health, but lots of changes are floating about and only time will tell where things will land. In the mean time, I keep counting calories, exercising, and repeating. One thing that has helped me to stay focused is my exercise.
I only do one thing, really: I walk. I try to do 10,000 steps a day, or about 5 miles of walking a day. I don’t meet this goal every day, and some days I do more than 10k, and it all balances out. There are many benefits to walking as exercise:
- It’s low impact and it’s unlikely I’ll get hurt while walking.
- It’s passive, as I have to walk from place to place, and exercise “just happens”
- I don’t have a set time I have to set aside for exercise, nor a membership with a gym, special equipment, or other costs.
- I get a chance to think while I walk, and walk while I think.
- I see my progress easily, and track my progress easily with a Fitbit Ultra Tracker.
- I get to see some beautiful sights while I exercise, like woodland paths, open spaces, and Princeton University’s beautiful campus.
I’ve also just begun learning to meditate, and walking meditation is an easy to adopt practice.
I’m always a bit amazed at how some people so easily dismiss walking as proper exercise, as though one needed to struggle or suffer to exercise ‘properly’. I’ve achieved my 50+ pound loss (so far) exclusively by casual, non-intense walking.
And today, for instance, I spent my time walking and talking with my boys, and so, they were exercising too. We walked for part of the day in Ewing on a preserved space path. We stopped a few times, sat and laughed and talked, and even did some trailblazing. All in all, a very good day.
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Have you tried Geocaching? The boys will love it.
We have done it a few times. Jack’s really into it!